1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer storage device, and more particularly, to a sound muffling and heat-discharging case for a computer storage device, capable of effectively processing noise and heat from a hard disk drive by simplifying a case structure housing the hard disk drive therein, thereby facilitating product fabrication.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a computer system includes a variety of storage devices therein and such devices are protected using appropriate cases.
According to noise level measurements of computers, it is known that a high level of noise is related to computer parts such as a hard disk assembly and a disk drive including a disk driving motor.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, a general hard disk drive will now be explained.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a general hard disk drive. The disk drive is normally in one unit and not generally disassembled. Here, the exploded view is provided merely to assist in understanding when noise occurs.
As shown therein, the hard disk drive includes: an upper cover 1; a disk assembly 2 having a plurality of platters 2a for recording magnetized data therein; a head assembly 3 having a plurality of heads 3a to facilitate the data reading and writing of the platters 2a in correspondence to rotating positions of the platters 2a; a spindle motor 4 disposed at a lower portion of the disk assembly 2 and spinning the platters 2a; a base casing 5 housing the above elements therein and engaged by the upper cover 1 so as to protect the internally contained elements from the exterior environment; and a printed circuit board (PCB) 6 disposed underneath the base casing 5, with the PCB component side 6a facing downwardly.
The thusly constituted hard disk drive generates noise when operating. Specifically, when inputting/outputting data into/from the disk assembly 2, the spindle motor 4 is rotated to rotate the disk assembly 2. That is, the noise occurs due to respective mechanical movements of the spindle motor rotation, the disk assembly rotation and the parts related to data input/output.
In such a conventional hard disk drive for a computer, the noise which occurs from its interior does not sound loud compared to a general noise level so that a noise reduction device is not installed so as to save production cost.
However, as computers are becoming more highly functional in recent years, the hard disk implements a high speed operation and accordingly noise and heat are on the increase. Further, as higher quality computer systems are required, the market demands lower noise computers.
As described above, the general hard disk drive is not provided with an additional device for solving the problems noise from the platter rotation, mechanical operation of the head assembly and spindle motor rotation, and the heat from PCB. As a result, users are disturbed by noise pollution and the generated heat may incur an erroneous operation of the computer system, thereby deteriorating product reliability.
In order to overcome such problems, there has been provided a sound muffling and heat-discharging case which houses a hard disk drive, and its structure will now be described with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional sound muffling and heat-discharging case and a hard disk drive provided therein as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,954.
As shown therein, a multi-layered muffling member 20 is formed covering a disk drive 10 and an outer casing 30 formed of an acrylic flexible material is disposed covering the muffling member 20 so as to sufficiently absorb noise and vibration from the hard disk drive.
The muffling member 20 includes a muffling element 21 having a high thermal conductivity for conducting away the heat generated by the hard disk drive. There is also provided a heat transfer member 50 such as a length of copper braid with its one end connected to the muffling member 21 and the other end thereof externally exposed through the muffling member 20 and the outer casing 30 so that the absorbed heat from the muffling member 21 can be discharged to the exterior of the outer casing 30, In order to increase the discharge of heat being transferred to the exterior of the outer casing 30 through the heat transfer member 50, a heatsink 60 is connected to the heat transfer member 50.
The sound muffling and heat-discharging case structure according to the conventional art obtains decreased noise since the noise from the hard disk drive 10 is absorbed into the muffling member 20 and since the heat from the hard disk drive 10 is externally discharged through the muffling member 21, the heat transfer member 50 and the heatsink 60, so that the internal temperature of the hard disk drive is not raised.
However, such a conventional sound muffling and heat-discharging case structure for a computer storage apparatus disadvantageously requires many parts, thereby complicating the structure, and thereby increasing the necessary labor and production cost.
Further, the use of an additional heatsink disposed for heat discharge increases the product size and the heat-discharging effect tends to be deteriorated since there is provided only one heat discharge structure.